No one is Excluded

Acts 3:17-26

Have you stopped to examine yourself, your thoughts, things you do and why you do them; if not today is a good day to begin.  Over the years, I have hung out with some intellectually accomplished folks, some who excelled to the top of their profession and yet all had one thing in common, they acted at times in ignorance in relationships, in financial areas, in business deals, and especially in spiritual areas of life.  So as you do a little self examination today, it would be helpful to visit the word ignorance: “incomprehension of, unawareness of, unconsciousness of, unfamiliarity with, inexperience with, lack of knowledge about, lack of information about; informal cluelessness about.”  Not all that is about you, but when it comes to this writer, there is much that I am clueless about.  And that is why author Luke, the physician, is giving an account of Peter’s conversation with this crowd that had gathered to see the miracle of the man who was born lame, now walking and leaping and praising God.

As a person who made his living in the business of sales, I learned early on to always make sure the person who had chosen the technology that was being used was addressed in this manner, that the technology you now are using was the best at the time of your decision, but let me show you what this product can do for your company.  And ninety nine percent of the time I was speaking what was true, and I also learned that decision makers do not like to be told what they were unaware of, or had lack of knowledge of what was on the market, or that they had made a bad decision.  But that is not what Peter did!

This is the account of what Peter said: “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. (Acts 3:17 ESV)  How did he address them, as brothers, and then he explains that you were clueless about what they did, it sounds like Peter may be giving them a pass on their poor performance, but keep reading.  “But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. (Acts 3:18-21 ESV)

To be ignorant or clueless is one thing, but what Peter has done so well is point them back to the teaching of Moses, and the prophets, and also from Samuel, and Abraham.  And now you have read this account, and the most important question you will ever be ask is; have you repented, and is there a time when you ask Jesus to blot out your sins?  If not, today is your day of Salvation, today Jesus will, by your invitation, come into your life and He will restore and refresh your spirit and will come into your life.  To understand what has taken place read 2 Peter 1:3-8.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice